Making news this week: Green tie winners, May Day coal ash protests, educational forums, and Early Voting draws to close

There’s plenty to talk about over Monday lunch links, so let’s get started….

The NC League of Conservation Voters announced this morning the recipients of its annual Green Tie Awards. Senator Angela Bryant and Representative Larry Hall are among thehonored legislators who have stepped up, spoken out, and carried water for environmental issues at the General Assembly. For more on 2014’s Rising Stars and details on the May 27th awards program, check out the League’s website.

This morning a federal challenge to Amendment One was filed in the Western District of North Carolina on behalf of the United Church of Christ (UCC). The case challenges the constitutionality of marriage laws in North Carolina – including Amendment One – that ban marriage between same-sex couples and make it illegal for clergy to perform wedding ceremonies for same-sex couples within their congregations. NC Policy Watch’s courts and law reporter Sharon McCloskey has more on the significance of this latest filing.

This evening, the four leading candidates for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate take part in one final debate trying to sway voters ahead of next week’s primary.

The 7:00 p.m. debate will be held at the UNC-TV studios in Research Triangle Park and be broadcast statewide. The participating candidates will be Speaker Thom Tillis, physician Greg Brannon, pastor Mark Harris and Heather Grant, a nurse practitioner and military veteran.

AARP North Carolina is holding two forums this week – in Goldsboro on Tuesday and Eden Thursday – to discuss some of the challenges facing North Carolina’s more than 1.7 million family caregivers.

High Point University has a great education roundtable set for Wednesday with both business and education experts discussing the challenges of North Carolina’s K-12 public schools, along with the role of colleges, universities and the business community in addressing the state’s workforce needs.

Also on Wednesday, NC Women United issues the findings from their 2013 NCWU Legislative Report Card. Representative Rosa Gill (D-Wake) will recommend steps legislators can take to reverse some of the damage created by the harmful laws enacted in the last session.

On Thursday, Duke Energy holds its annual shareholders meeting andseveral environmental groups will be outside Duke’s corporate headquarters in Charlotte to call for social justice, political transparency and clean energy for all.

The May Day protest will also focus on February’s massive spill along the Dan River and the McCrory Administration’s promise to address coal ash pollution in the upcoming short session.

Coming up this weekend, Mecklenburg County’s Democratic Executive Committee meets on Saturday to vote on Dan Clodfelter’s replacement in the state Senate. Clodfelter stepped down as the state senator for District 37 earlier this month to become Charlotte’s mayor, replacing Patrick Cannon.

Make sure you have on your agenda this Saturday’s special forum host by Public School First North Carolina (PSFNC): “Keeping NC Public Schools Strong.” The program will include a legislative roundtable featuring Senator Josh Stein, Rep. Rosa Gill, and Representative Paul Stam.

Saturday also marks the last day for Early Voting before the May 6th primary – don’t say we didn’t remind you!

Finally, turn up your speakers, get out of your chair, and try to keep up with Laurel & Hardy as we close out Monday’s lunch links with a little Santana: